Oklahoma City Thunder: Why Biggest Hurdle to 2012 Title for OKC Is Themselves

The Oklahoma City Thunder are easily the favorite to represent the Western Conference in the 2012 NBA Finals, and they are absolutely deserving of that honor at this point in the season.

Not only are the Thunder the owners of the second best record in the NBA, with a 37-12 record, but they also happen to have the second-most productive offense in the NBA, with a season average of 103.6 points per game.

While the Thunder only rank ninth in the NBA in rebounds per game and 18th in points allowed per game, with 43.4 rebounds and 97.2 point averages respectively, there's no doubt that they have one of the most complete teams in the entire league.

With one of the most dynamic and productive trios in the league, in James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant, it's more than clear that the Thunder have every piece of the championship puzzle they've been trying to solve for the last few years.

The only challenge standing in their way of an NBA title in 2012 is figuring out how to fit all of those pieces together into a championship caliber rotation, night in and night out.

Sure, there are other teams, like the Bulls, Heat, Spurs, Magic and Lakers, that will be trying to keep them from winning the 2012 title, but their biggest hurdle isn't another team.  It's themselves.

Watching the Thunder play when they are clicking on all cylinders is like watching poetry in motion. They are athletic, efficient, exciting and dominating when their star-studded roster is playing like a cohesive unit.

When the Thunder abandon their team mentality, however, they are one of the most dysfunctional teams in the NBA, with their All-Star players trying to take over games all by themselves.

While the Thunder's individual talent certainly has the skill-set and talent to take over games, there's no doubt that their strength is when every player on the floor is playing with the success of the rest of the team in mind.

Take a minute and look at the Thunder's star players' production:

Kevin Durant -  27.9 points per game on 49.9 percent shooting

Russell Westbrook - 24 points per game on 47.1 percent shooting 

James Harden -  17.2 points per game on 49.3 percent shooting

Serge Ibaka - Nine points per game on 53.4 percent shooting

Those players' combined totals are in the vicinity of 78 points on 49.9 percent shooting from the field.

That kind of production isn't something that those players can produce on their own.

The Thunder's All-Star talent undoubtedly needs each other if they are going to produce at that level for the rest of the 2011-12 NBA season and playoffs.

If the Thunder play like one cohesive unit, they are hands-down the most difficult team to beat in the entire NBA.  Just ask the Miami Heat how they feel about that.

On the other hand, if the Thunder fail to play like a team they are one of the most inconsistent and most vulnerable teams in the entire league.

That right there, is the reason why the only thing standing between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the 2012 NBA title is themselves.  The only team that can stop the Thunder is the Thunder, and once they realize that, nothing, and I mean nothing will be able to get in their way.